Perfect Days (2003) – Wim Wenders

A Simple Life

Set in the hubbub of inner-city Tokyo, Hirayama (played by Kōji Yakusho) is a Shibuya district toilet cleaner content with his simple life. We see repeated images of Hirayama waking up, brushing his teeth, trimming his moustache, watering his plants, grabbing a drink from the vending machine, working, buying lunch from the convenience store, and dining at the same subway eatery. This emphasises the daily motions of almost ritualistic routine in hectic Tokyo.

Beauty in the Everyday

Hirayama encompasses the concept of Komorebi (木漏れ日 [sunlight filtering through the trees]), finding the beauty in the everyday. He yearns for and embraces pockets of nature and human connection in a society prone to loneliness and isolation, regularly photographing and maintaining a collection of Komorebi.

Contentedness

Hirayama is looked down upon by the rest of society, his younger colleague Takashi (Tokio Emoto) also putting minimal effort into the work they carry out. Takashi and Aya (Aoi Yamada) who represent a younger and more complacent generation, take interest in Hirayama’s cassette collection, something he doesn’t perceive through the lens of monetary value. Meanwhile, his estranged sister, Keiko (Yumi Asō) maintains a lavish lifestyle, one that Hirayama has rejected.

Made up of stunning sequences, a beautiful soundtrack, and a simple yet powerful premise, Perfect Days is truly an unmissable gorgeous film.